BEAUTY WITHIN ~ TEEN ESTEEM ™

The US stands alone as one of the few advanced countries that allow people convicted of felonies to be blocked from voting after they leave prison. The policy in Mississippi underscores how these laws, rooted in the explicit racism of the Jim Crow south, continue to have discriminatory consequences today.

Teens' inexperience behind the wheel makes them more susceptible to distraction behind the wheel. One in three teens who text say they have done so while driving. Is your teen one of them? Research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases your teen's risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times. Talking or texting on the phone takes your teen's focus off the task of driving, and significantly reduces their ability to react to a roadway hazard, incident, or inclement weather.

If you find out your child is bullying others, it's important to take action immediately.  Here are some steps you can take: Stay calm and listen to your child. It's important to listen to your child's perspective without judgment. This will help you understand why they are bullying others and what they are hoping to achieve. Let your child know that bullying is wrong. Explain that bullying is hurtful and can have serious consequences for the victim. Help your child understand that there are other ways to deal with their problems, such as talking to an adult or finding a peaceful solution. Set clear consequences for your child's behavior. The consequences should be age-appropriate and should fit the severity of the bullying. For example, you might take away your child's privileges, ground them, or require them to apologize to the victim. Get help from a professional. If you are struggling to deal with your child's bullying behavior, you may want to get help from...

 A new museum of African American history in South Carolina stands on a former wharf that was among the world's largest landing sites for enslaved Africans. The International African American Museum (IAAM) is a museum in Charleston, South Carolina that tells the story of the African American experience from its origins in Africa to the present day. The museum is located on Gadsden's Wharf, which was the point of entry for an estimated 45% of enslaved Africans who arrived in the United States. The IAAM is the first international African American museum in the world. This means that it tells the story of the African American experience not just in the United States, but also in other parts of the world, such as the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. The museum also explores the connections between the African American experience and the broader African diaspora. Having an international African American museum is important because it helps to broaden our understanding of the Af...